Thursday, August 16, 2018

Nuclear free and independent Pacific - how the zone began 33 years ago and what now?

RADIO 531pi Breakfast Talanoa host Ma'a Brian Sagala has talked about the
Rarotonga Treaty with Café Pacific publisher David
Robie.

It was hugely significant for the Pacific. It was sort of like a
threshold for the Pacific really standing up to the big powers and
predated New Zealand’s nuclear-free law.

It was a huge step forward. It was not only a declaration against
France, which was detonating nuclear weapons at the time, but also
against the US and Britain that had also conducted many nuclear tests in
the Pacific.

The Treaty of Rarotonga formalise the Pacific nuclear-free zone on 6 August 1985 and New Zealand's own New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act followed two years later on 8 June 1987.

David also talks about the Rainbow Warrior’s humanitarian
voyage to Rongelap to help the islanders move to another home across
the Pacific Ocean. He is the author of the book Eyes of Fire about nuclear testing in the Pacific.

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